Lateral Epicondylitis

Critical Analysis Review of Current Nonoperative Treatments

Abstract

• » Lateral epicondylitis (LE) or tennis elbow is a common cause of elbow pain in the general population, especially women in the fourth and fifth decades of life who participate in repetitive forceful movements involving the wrist and forearm.
• » The pathogenesis of this overuse injury is believed to start from an overload event leading to a microtear in or near the origin of the extensor carpi radialis brevis that is subsequently prone to additional injury and structural weakness over time.
• » Treatment of LE often begins with a wide variety of nonoperative modalities including rest, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, bracing, and physical therapy. For recalcitrant symptoms, additional nonoperative therapies are implemented; however, there remains a lack of comparative efficacy between these adjunct treatments.
• » In this article, we examine the available literature regarding nonoperative management of LE and provide supplementary insight into the effectiveness of current modalities.